How to Pop Up on a Surfboard

Popping up on a surfboard is one of the most challenging tasks for beginner and intermediate surfers. For beginners, it’s best to start practicing in the whitewater. This provides more opportunities to master the technique compared to waiting for the perfect green wave and is also safer, as it reduces the risk of the board flying and hitting you or another surfer.

The good news is that popping up is a fundamental surf skill you can practice and perfect on dry land. Dry-land practice helps build muscle memory and confidence, making it easier to execute the movement in the water.

You don’t need significant upper body strength for a clean pop-up, but if this is a concern, press-ups are a great exercise to help. Hip mobility is also important; if you struggle with flexibility, yoga is highly recommended.

Best Pop-Up Technique

The ideal way to pop up is to land both feet simultaneously, or within a fraction of a second. While physiological differences might cause slight variations in knee movements and foot placement, the essential steps remain the same:

1. Place your hands under your chest with palms facing forward.
2. Raise your upper body and arch your back. This prepares you for the pop-up. Your arms can be either locked or slightly bent—choose what feels most natural for you.
3. Keep your head up and look where you want to go. Focus on bringing your front foot forward to land just above the middle of the board, while your back foot lands on the tail pad near the side fins.
4. Stay low with your knees bent. Avoid standing up too quickly, as this can cause you to lose balance. Adjust your feet into a functional stance for riding the wave.

Second-Best Pop-Up Technique

Many surf schools teach a slightly modified version of the pop-up where the back foot lands first, followed by the front foot. While not as efficient as the ideal method, this approach works for those struggling with upper body strength or hip flexibility.

1. After catching the wave, place your hands under your chest.
2. Arch your back as you would for the best pop-up.
3. Instead of moving both feet at once, place your back foot onto the tail pad first, then bring your front foot into position. Avoid using your knees at any stage.

While this method works for most waves, it has some disadvantages:

• You’ll need to look down to place your back foot, which interrupts focus on the wave.
• Landing your weight on the back foot first slows the board down.

These limitations are minor for many waves but can be problematic for very fast or steep waves, where the best pop-up is more effective.

How Professional Surfers Pop Up

Professional surfers follow the steps of the best pop-up technique but with some minor variations:

• One hand may be slightly ahead of the other. For example, placing the right hand slightly forward makes it easier to pop up and position for a right-hand wave, and vice versa for a left-hand wave. This instinctive adjustment comes with experience and isn’t necessary for beginners.
• Sometimes, pros land with the back foot slightly before the front foot. This is due to individual physiological factors like leg length and flexibility. Despite this, their movements are always smooth and fluid, a difference noticeable only in slow-motion playback.

Common Mistakes When Popping Up

Avoid these common errors to improve your pop-up:

• Holding the rails: Placing your hands on the rails (sides) of the board instead of flat on the deck makes it much harder to pop up.
• Using your knees: Never use your knees to pop up. This adds unnecessary steps, takes too long, and disrupts the flow of the movement.

By focusing on proper technique and avoiding these mistakes, you’ll build a strong foundation for your surfing journey.

f you’re a beginner or intermediate surfer, and you want to learn how to pop up the best way, we invite you to join our surf school at Uluwatu’s top surf camp where we will also teach you how to paddle the surfboard, how to stand on the board correctly, and how to steer and turn the surfboard.